Various types of suction outlet assemblies have been developed in the past for use in swimming pools, each designed to inhibit human entrapment and thereby reduce the related risk of serious injury or death. One type of suction outlet assembly provides a cover having a larger surface area, so as to prevent a bather's body from covering the suction outlet and creating the large suction force that causes entrapment (see, for instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,940,807, 5,734,999 and 6,170,095). However, should the cover become displaced from its associated suction outlet, or sump, any such safety features are obviated. Furthermore, such assemblies are often not conducive to widespread placement in swimming pools, given their unconventional structure and intrusive shape. In such circumstances, there is a need for a suction outlet assembly that includes safety features for both the cover and the underlying sump, and that can be introduced into swimming pools of conventional design.